Theme: Cultivating good habits

The grandpa's garden

Once upon a time there was a very cheerful boy who liked to spend his afternoons in his grandfather's big backyard. There were some trees that provided good shade on hot days and a lawn where the boy played with a ball. But the most beautiful part of the yard was the vegetable garden which the grandfather tended with great affection.

One day, the boy noticed that his grandfather was carrying a hoe and a pair of thick gloves towards the garden.

- Grandpa are we going to pick the tomatoes today? - said the excited boy.

- Not today, son, they still need more time to grow - said the grandfather, putting the hoe on the ground. - Today I'm going to clear the soil from this bed to plant flowers. Do you want to help me?

The boy looked at it blankly. That bed didn't look any different from the others, as there were several sprouts growing there and some even had small yellow flowers.

- But there are already flowers growing here, Grandpa. Can't we just let them grow and plant the new flowers somewhere else?

The grandfather gave his grandson a smile and called him closer.

	- Take a good look at the leaves of these plants. What do they look like?
After a long pause, the boy replied:

- I don't know... They're different from all the other plants here.

- Exactly, you observed well - said the grandfather, satisfied. - Those are weeds. They are dangerous for the garden because they grow very quickly and take up space from other plants. Therefore, even if they have some flowers, it is necessary to pluck them.

The grandfather put the thick gloves he had brought on his grandson's hands. While the boy pulled the weeds from the bed, the grandfather stirred the earth with the hoe, saying:

- Our life is like this flowerbed. We need to plant good deeds just as we plant good seeds. That's what will bring us good fruit. But just planting is not enough. Every day, we should water the garden and take care of the plants, right? In our lives too, we have to cultivate good habits and beware of habits that are like weeds: they look good, but they steal space from other things. Do you understand?

That afternoon, the boy helped his grandfather to make the land soft and ready for the planting of flowers. Even after many years had passed, he remembered his grandfather's garden and the precious advice he received that day.

(Text by Lívia Seneda.)

Translation:
Larissa Martine - larissa_am@hotmail.com

marcelapradacontato@gmail.com